Order Up! 2026 QSR Spotlight Report

Want to skip straight to the report? Download our 2026 QSR Spotlight Report here. 

Global QSR Performance

Leaving aside a 2% drop in downloads in H1 2024, the global QSR market has seen sustained positive growth for at least the last three years. Most recently, in H2 2025, downloads were up 7% year over year (YoY), and sessions 14%. While new user acquisition has begun to stall in North America (which saw a 4M decrease in QSR app downloads from 2024 to 2026), Asia is emerging as a growth engine. The continent surpassed North America in QSR market share for the first time in Q2 2025, and the region’s Sandwich and Deli subgenre nearly doubled its download figures in Q1 2026. 

QSR Demographics and Audience Insights

Demographic insights tell an equally interesting story about which audiences are engaging, and where the biggest growth opportunities lie. Cafes & Coffee Shops have the most female-heavy bases, led by Starbucks and Dunkin', where women comprise 69% and 61% of app users. Pizza (58% male) and Mexican & Taco (59% male) display the opposite trend. But aside from just gender, data on the degree to which audiences overlap across categories provides crucial intel for strategists. For instance, QSR apps exhibit a massive overlap with moviegoers and sports fans, making the genres natural bedfellows for partnerships and co-branded campaigns.

How Top QSR Brands Use Promotions To Drive Retention

Next let’s dive into some concrete strategy. Our report found, overwhelmingly, that interactive events create higher retention baselines for apps in the space. Unlike standard promotional events (simple discounts), gamified multi-week promos have the potential to drive sustained boosts in engagement. McDonald’s October Monopoly event, for example, outperformed the 2025 yearly average, with Week 1 retention staying nearly 1ppt higher than the baseline and maintaining that lead through Week 10. 

QSR Digital Advertising Trends

The report also takes a deep dive into digital ad strategies of QSR brands. Global spend for the industry jumped 6% YoY in Q1 2026, hitting $1.7B. In the United States, that number was 4%, while countries like Australia, France, and Japan saw impressive 30%+ gains. The top channels stateside were Linear TV and OTT, which accounted for 52% of total budget. Meanwhile, Instagram was the top social channel, followed by Facebook and YouTube. 

The full 30+ page report contains more exclusive data (and charts!) than we could ever fit into a blog post. You’ll learn about everything from the secret behind Little Caesars’ loyal fan base, to how Crumbl successfully reached a younger audience. The report is split into three core sections — Mobile App Trends, Digital Advertising, and Retail Media Advertising — and there’s something in there for everyone. 

Download the full report here.